In Praise of Robert Downey Jr.

By
Liz Kelly

Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan arrive at the premiere of his latest movie, 'Tropic Thunder.' (Getty Images)

A lot has already been said in praise of Robert Downey Jr. He's the ultimate comeback kid, giving hope to fallen stars and recovering addicts the world over. And, although in the picture above he couldn't possibly look more like Wayne Newton, it is nearly impossible to snark at this guy -- who has gone from less than zero to iron man (literally and figuratively) over the course of his 20-some year career.

Though he came of age on film in schlocky teen fare like "Weird Science" and "Tuff Turf" (and we all know "Pretty in Pink's" Duckie Dale was just a cheap RDJ rip-off) it wasn't long before Downey was leaving peers like Anthony Michael Hall behind to take on more challenging roles and garner critical praise. Parts with more heft and less box office punch, like "Restoration" and "Chaplin," marked Downey's emergence as a real actor. Still, as successful as he was on-screen, Downey's off-screen addictions undercut his career gains at every turn (and carried some personal costs, like the loss of long-time girlfriend Sarah Jessica Parker).

Clean now for a little more than five years (thanks Burger King), Downey has made giant-size strides in the past few -- pleasing both critics (in indies like "A Scanner Darkly") and studio execs and fans with his winning turn as "Iron Man" Tony Stark. But despite all the accolades and steady work now coming his way, Downey remains grounded. Following "Iron Man's" mega-success, Downey was quick to dial back what he saw as a budding ego trip:

"Suddenly, for a minute, I felt like everyone needed to take a knee and listen to what I had to say, because I f--kin' made it, and my way works and all this stuff. Then I go home and I go, 'Oh my God, what's happening to me? I gotta get grounded here.'"

I'm not sure how much today's post will help with keeping him grounded, but hey, we like to give credit where due around here. And because it's a slow August day and the biggest thing shaking in the celebrity world is Jake Gyllenhaal's abs, let's pause and take a moment to heap praise and adulation on Robert Downey Jr., man of iron -- and irony.

RDJ...gotta love him. As I type I have 2 of his "crazy-coke-eyes" mugshots in my cube. Everyone asks why & my answer is "Well, he's hot & 2)there but for the grace....we're all one drink away from THAT!"

Whoo! I'm a late convert to RDJ, but he's winning me over pretty fast. He had a great interview last night with Craig Ferguson which was basically the two of them baking fresh funny for fifteen minutes straight. Good times.

Thanks, Liz, for a post dedicated to Robert Downey Jr., whom I have a mad crush on. Tropic Thunder is already taking some heat from the disability community for Ben Stiller's character and crude references toward mental disabilities. Me, however, I'm just going because Downey's in it, and any scene he's in, is gooood.

Favorite Downey roles:
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Restoration
Soapdish

Looking forward to Sherlock Holmes and future Iron Man installments.

Glad his career is on an upswing and that he's doing so well, personally and professionally.

I missed RDJ on Craig Ferguson? Gosh darn it! Why or why did I have to go to sleep at 11:50 p.m.? Oh, I know why. My job. I need to show up every morning to keep getting that salary deposited into my checking account.

Loved Iron Man, though I must admit that I am not addicted to RDJ or anything.

"take a knee"? I just flashed back to pre-game team meetings in high school, with the mannish coach saying "Awright girls, let's take a knee and um... (remembering we're not allowed to pray in school) think about playing real good today." Every single game. It's the only other time I've heard the expression.

Posted by: (but had nothing to do with War Games) | August 12, 2008 12:48 PM

Yeah, I saw that! I was a wee child when both movies came out, so I'd never thought to check when they were released before. I was shocked- SHOCKED, I tell you. All of my previous, age-old assumptions went out the window. Hmm...what else could I be wrong about?

What I do know is that Duckie's lip-synching to Otis is one of my favorite movie scenes to date.

Posted by: Sully says all you got to do is squeeze her, tease her, never leave her | August 12, 2008 1:46 PM
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"And, although in the picture above he couldn't possibly look more like Wayne Newton"

B'More Cat and Craig Ferguson Lover:
Give it a few days; I'm sure the interview will show up on the Internets somewhere.
And yeah, I'm kind of regretting staying up that late last night. Time to hit the coffee machine again.

"Even RDJ couldn't make Less Than Zero watchable, but he came damn close."

True. The movie was such a watered-down version of the book as it was, never mind the casting of (UGH) Andrew McCarthy in the lead role.

I forgot about Robert Downey, Jr. in "Soapdish." What a hilarious movie. All I need is a quick fix of Cathy Moriarty chasing RDJr. yelling "David!" and I'm happy for the next hour. A modern classic. Never saw it? Rent it now.

Posted by: (but had nothing to do with War Games) | August 12, 2008 12:48 PM
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Actually Matthew Broderick's style was already established in earlier films ("Max Dugan Returns" 1983), by which it is understandable to see Duckie as a poor man's Matt Broderick...I know I had the same reaction as Sully at the time.

You must be eating the wrong stuff at Burger King. I eat there at least 3 times a week and I am 5'10" and 165 pounds. I am guy by the way with a 30" waste and at the age of 46 can still run 3 miles in under 20 minutes. Plus, my cholesterol is under 180 and my blood pressure averages 110 over 68.

Did you see the movie? In context RDJ is spot on, black face and all! Nothing wrong with it at all, it is hilarious.

And yes, I'm black.

Posted by: anon | August 14, 2008 8:59 AM"

Of course it was hilarious! It is for entertainment purposes! Just like blackface was used for entertainment many years ago. Am I surprised? Not at all. I'm glad you enjoyed the movie...I'm sure the majority of America will also. I'm not militant, but I DO understand that there has to be a certain amount of tact and sensitivity when dealing when a subject as touchy as this. Black face was demeaning...is demeaning. I'm feel sorry for you; you are a black person in America who can't see why that is. I wish I were ignorant...then I wouldn't care so much.